Here is the story of a really ugly attorney-attorney conflict, which teaches the lesson that attorneys can be really vicious. Recently graduated associate leaves a small plaintiff’s PI firm, and takes a fes small cases with her. Result? Employer attorney sends what in my opinion is a totally nasty letter to the clients, carefully couching what I belive to be insults in opinion, so that when the young associate sues for defamation, Appellate Court finds that the language is opinion, not fact. Result? Dismissal. Funny Part? The case went to trial in the meantime, and young associate lost. Lost in all this? Young associate forgot to plead all of the actual words in the complaint [a violation and leads to dismissal] and her attorney did not put in her affidavit on motion to dismiss, setting forth evidence in admissible form [violation, leads to losing motion.}

What a waste of everyone’s time. Can’t we all just get along? Details in today’s NYLJ by Anthony Lin.